FORT MYERS, Fla. — A man who the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said was once trusted to give Uber rides to people in our area was in court today.
37-year-old Felix Torres is facing sexual battery charges after a woman said he attacked her after dropping her off at her Fort Myers apartment early Sunday morning.
Torres had his first court appearance Wednesday morning, and his bond was set at $500,000.
In a statement, Uber said that Torres is now banned from the company. This comes after Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Torres committed a sexual attack against the woman.
"It's upsetting, truthfully,” said Molly Ouverson, a Fort Myers resident.
Ouverson is new to Fort Myers and is still trying to adjust. She said after hearing about these allegations, it doesn’t bring much comfort.
“It makes me nervous as a woman to go out and wanting be able to trust people to take me somewhere and hopefully not harm me,” Ouverson said.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office released video Sheriff Marceno said showed the attack. Marceno detailed that the believed suspect put on a mask and chased the woman down after dropping her off.
"The victim did everything she was supposed to do, she had a plan, she did everything right,” Sheriff Marceno said. "She tried to be safe, and she tried to fight."
In court, Torres listened with his hands on his head as the judge ordered him to stay away from the alleged victim and her apartment complex.
Before setting his bond, Torres’ previous charges were read aloud. All of his charges came from the state of Massachusetts, including armed robbery, driving without a license, and breaking and entering.
Fox 4’s Briana Brownlee reached out to Uber asking why Torres was able to pass Uber's background screening, since he had a criminal record.
A spokesperson with Uber sent this statement:
- Our background check process reviews all available and legally reportable criminal records and specifically screens for convictions.
- In this case, there were no prior convictions revealed during the driver’s background check, and he passed the process.
- We defer to law enforcement to release any additional details regarding the driver’s criminal history.
If Torres is released on bond, he will have to wear an ankle monitor. His next court appearance is January 9 at 8:30 am.
